A nationwide program recently honored Auburn’s Ethan Choi for his outstanding community service.

Choi was among other Washington students chosen as Distinguished Finalists for Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion.

Choi, 14, a sophomore at Academy Schools, established a collection that over the past three years has provided soldiers overseas with 116 care packages filled with books and magazines, toiletries, snacks and hand-written notes wishing them well.

In addition to his care package project, which started after he read an article about soldiers needing reading material for their down time, Choi has volunteered 240 hours with the Northwest Harvest hunger relief agency.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, now in its 22nd year, is conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

The awards represents the country’s largest youth recognition program based solely on volunteer service. All public and private middle level and high schools in the country, as well as all Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and HandsOn Network affiliates, were eligible to select a student or member for a local award. The local honorees were then reviewed by an independent judging panel, which selected State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists based on criteria including personal initiative, effort, impact and personal growth.

For information on all of this year’s Prudential Spirit of Community State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists, visit spirit.prudential.com or nassp.org/spirit.